Improvement in harrows



UETTED STATES PATENT GEFIoE.

BENJAMIN JOHNSTON, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN HARROWS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that I, BENJAMIN JoHNsToN, of Sterling, in the county of W'hitesides and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Harrow; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation, and Fig. 3 is a partial side elevation.

This invention relates to an improved arrangement of a lever for lit'tin g or tilting the two parts of a harrow which are hinged together at the middle; and it consists in supporting the lever upon arms in such a way tha-t its gravity shall aid in overcoming the gravity ot' either of the hinged parts ofthe harrow when it is desired to raise it to an angle to the horizontal plane, and shall extend back so as to be c nvenie11t1y grasped by the operator, as hereinafter more fully described.

Referring to the drawing, a are the teeth, the saine being all set at an inclination backward. In all lifting-harm ws where the teeth are vertical, corn-stalks, weeds, &c., become impaled on thein, and hence do not drop off readily when the ha-rrow is lifted. When the teeth are arranged in the way I propose few stalks are impaled, or are dragged along with the teeth, and such as are impaled easily drop ot't' when the harrow is raised. The halves A of the harrow are hinged togetherI by means of a pin, I), passing through eyes c d, one projecting from each halt', and by means of a bar, e, passing through the eyes j" g and L i. A lever, j, is rigidly connected with the bar c by means of an eye, lc, encircling said bar and attached to a plate that is fastened to the under side of the lever j, at one end of the latter; and by means otl an arm, l, secured at one end to the under side of the lever j, and at the other end by an eye, m, connected with the bar c. Uhains n, secured to a plate, o, that is fastened to the lever j, extend thence to eyes 1J driven into th e outer corners ofthe harrow, which chains serve to limit the movements ofthe lever. By pressing the latter to either side, that haltl of the harrow away from which it is pressed is ele.- vated as high as the chain n permits.

It will be perceived that when it is desired to elevate either half of the harrow the slightest movement ot' the lever j toward the other halil carries it beyond the center or point of equipoise, and, accordingly, its weight, or a portion of it, is made to assist the manual torce applied for over coming the weight ot' part ot' the harrow being raised. This greatly assists the operator, particularly if the lever be weighted.

I am aware it is not new to so arrange a lever that its gravity shall assist, in solne degree, to 'aise a part ot a harrow, but I believe it to be new to arrange a lever thus, and also in a horizontal position, so as to be easily seized and operated.

The ends B of the second set of bars B extend outward beyond the bars A, the bars B being ot the same length as those in front. This arrangement gives three rows of teethoutside oil' the points of connection q, which is the same number of rows as is within said points oi connection. The harrow, consequently, tears the ground equally at every part, thus rendering lapping' umiecessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters' Patent, is Y The lever j, supported in a horizontal position,

or nearly so, on the pivot-arms 7c and I, and con` nected with the hinged portions of the harrow, as specified.

BENJAMIN JOHNSTON. Witnesses KNUDE THARRALnsoN, JN0. G. MANAHAN. 

